Itanagar: The Raj Bhavan in Arunachal Pradesh has been renamed as ‘Lok Bhavan’ following a communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), officials said on Saturday.
The Raj Bhavans in seven other Northeastern states — Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim had earlier been renamed as ‘Lok Bhavan’.
The change in nomenclature in Arunachal Pradesh was formalised after Governor Lt. General K.T. Parnaik (Retd.) returned to Itanagar, officials added.
Commissioner to Arunachal Governor Pawan Kumar Sain in an order said that in pursuance of the communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a memorandum on November 25 and as per the direction of the state Governor notified that the official name of “Raj Bhavan” shall stand changed to ‘Lok Bhavan”.
Raj Bhavan, Arunachal Pradesh shall henceforth be referred to as “Lok Bhavan”, the order said.
The order said that the new nomenclature “Lok Bhavan” shall be used in all official communications, records, signages, digital platforms, stationary, and all other references pertaining to the Governor’s establishment.
All Departments and offices under the state government and all concerned agencies are requested to take note of the above change and ensure necessary amendments in their official documents, websites and correspondence, the order said.
Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu earlier said that the decision to rename the Raj Bhavan to ‘Lok Bhavan’ has been taken as a mark of respect to democracy.
“With the name Raj Bhavan, there was an impression that it belonged to a royal dynasty or a king. Now that democracy prevails and governments are elected through a democratic system, that’s why Raj Bhavan has been renamed Lok Bhavan,” the Governor had told the media.
An official said that from now on, the Raj Bhavan holdings in Tripura’s capital Agartala shall be named Lok Bhavan for all purposes.
The historic mansion Pushpabanta (or Pushpavanta) Palace, also known as Kunjaban Palace, which served as the Raj Bhavan until 2018, was built in 1917 by the then Tripura king Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya Debbarma Bahadur.
In 2018, the Governor’s house was shifted to the Capital Complex area on the outskirts of the city.
The Tripura government, earlier this year, signed a lease agreement with a private company to make the 108-year-old Pushpabanta Palace in Agartala a 5-star hotel.
Various organisations, including the frontal wings of the ruling BJP’s ally Tipra Motha Party, staged a series of protests opposing the Tripura government’s move to privatise the iconic Pushpabanta Palace and convert it into a five-star hotel by a private group.
(IANS)
